Oban – A Fair Trade Town

Buying Fair Trade – the Oban & Lorn Fairtrade Directory

Demand for and awareness of fair trade in Oban and the surrounding area is rapidly increasing; so too are the number of local organisations and businesses who use, stock or serve Fair Trade goods.

The Oban & Lorn Fairtrade Steering Group publishes the Oban & Lorn Fairtrade Directory, which is a comprehensive list of local businesses and organisations which use, serve or stock fair trade goods.  The Directory has recently been updated on this website and free paper copies will soon be available from Oxfam and other local outlets.

Fair Trade Schools

One of the Oban & Lorn Fairtrade Steering Group’s key objectives is to support teachers and pupils in learning more about and getting involved in Fair Trade. There are lots of ways schools can do this: from learning in the classroom about what fair trade actually means and why we need it, to using and promoting the use of fair trade products in the tuck-shop, staffroom and beyond.

Group members regularly visit schools in Oban and the surrounding areas leading school assemblies and running workshops and discussion groups on fair trade.

The Fairtrade Foundation in London runs a Fairtrade School award scheme to reward schools which have shown a commitment to fair trade.  There are over 500 schools registered on the scheme in Scotland.  If you would like your school to join them, contact us to find out more and how to get started, at schools@obanfairtrade.org.uk .

Whether or not you are working towards ‘Fairtrade School’ status, we can point you in the direction of where to find learning and teaching resources and CPD opportunities for teachers. The Scottish Fair Trade Forum website has excellent ideas on linking Fair Trade with the curriculum . This and the Fairtrade Foundation website provide comprehensive news of Fair Trade events and keep you updated with what other schools are doing.

Fair Trade Businesses

Why offer Fairtrade at work?

An Ipsos MORI survey in 2005 revealed that 86% of employees want their company to be socially and environmentally responsible.  Fairtrade guarantees producer organisations a fair and stable price which means your business can make trade work in favour of millions of people worldwide. There is now a huge selection of Fairtrade certified products including tea, coffee and juice to quench your thirst, biscuits and cakes for meetings and wine for client dining. You can also source Fairtrade certified cotton for your company T-shirts and uniforms and brighten up reception with Fairtrade flowers!

It’s easy for you to buy Fairtrade:

Visit www.fairtradeatwork.org.uk to find out how your business or organisation can improve the lives of farmers and workers in the developing world. You will find a directory of Fairtrade registered suppliers which lists distributors and caterers throughout the UK that can supply you with a range of Fairtrade products and vending options. You can also read case studies of how businesses and organisations have made the switch.

If you would like a member of the Oban & Lorn Fairtrade Steering Group to discuss introducing Fair Trade produce into your business please contact us on businesses@obanfairtrade.org.uk

Fair Trade Faith Groups

Faith groups have been an important force in the Fair Trade campaign both nationally and locally in Oban and the surrounding area. A significant proportion of the Oban & Lorn Fairtrade Steering Group are also members of local churches while in the UK, Christian groups were behind the establishment of the Fairtrade Foundation, Traidcraft and Cafédirect.

An ever-growing number of churches in Oban and Lorn are making the connection between trade and poverty and committing to using Fairtrade products including tea, coffee, sugar and biscuits. Many local churches organise events during Fairtrade Fortnight and include prayers and readings about Fair Trade in their worship throughout the year.

If you would like assistance with this or would like to find out more about Fair Trade and how your church can become more involved, please contact us at faithgroups@obanfairtrade.org.uk or check out the Fairtrade resources page on Tearfund’s website.

The Fairtrade Foundation has recognised that seeking justice in the world is a fundamental tenet of all faiths and that campaigning for fair trade is one way in which many faith groups are pursuing this goal. Through their website, they are able to support all places of worship in joining the Fairtrade Places of Worship scheme.